Fire-fighting foam composition

Abstract

An aqueous fluorine-free, fire-fighting composition including a sugar component, an anionic surfactant, a zwitterionic surfactant, water-miscible organic solvent, and a nonionic surfactant, is provided.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An aqueous fluorine-free, fire-fighting foam composition comprising:
 a sugar component comprising a monosaccharide sugar, a disaccharide sugar, a sugar alcohol, or a mixture of any two or more thereof;   a nonionic surfactant comprising an alkyl polyglycoside, an aliphatic alcohol, or a mixture of any two or more thereof;   optionally, a second surfactant component comprising an anionic surfactant, a zwitterionic surfactant, or a mixture of any two or more thereof; and   a water-miscible organic solvent;   wherein the composition is substantially free of a polysaccharide thickener.   
     
     
         2 . The aqueous fluorine-free, fire-fighting foam composition of  claim 1 , wherein the sugar component comprises glucose, fructose, mannose, xylose, sucrose, lactose, maltose, lactulose, trehalose, cellobiose, chitobiose, xylitol, sorbitol, mannitol, or a mixture of any two or more thereof. 
     
     
         3 . The aqueous fluorine-free, fire-fighting foam composition of  claim 1 , comprising the anionic surfactant as the second surfactant component, wherein the anionic surfactant comprises an aliphatic sulfate surfactant, an aliphatic sulfonate surfactant, an aliphatic succinate salt, an aliphatic ether sulfate surfactant, or a mixture of any two or more thereof. 
     
     
         4 . The aqueous fluorine-free, fire-fighting foam composition of  claim 1 , comprising the zwitterionic surfactant as the second surfactant component, wherein the zwitterionic surfactant comprises an aliphatic amidoalkyl betaine, an aliphatic sulfobetaine, an aliphatic amidoalkyl hydroxysultaine, an aliphatic hydroxysultaine, or a mixture of any two or more thereof. 
     
     
         5 . The aqueous fluorine-free, fire-fighting foam composition of  claim 1 , wherein the water-miscible organic solvent comprises an alkylene glycol, an alkylene glycol monoalkyl ether, or a mixture of two or more thereof. 
     
     
         6 . The aqueous fluorine-free, fire-fighting foam composition of  claim 1 , further comprising an alkanolamine. 
     
     
         7 . The aqueous fluorine-free, fire-fighting foam composition of  claim 1 , further comprising a metallic salt. 
     
     
         8 . The aqueous fluorine-free, fire-fighting foam composition of  claim 1 , further comprising a chelator, a buffer, a corrosion inhibitor, a preservative, or a mixture of any two or more thereof. 
     
     
         9 . The aqueous fluorine-free, fire-fighting foam composition of  claim 1  having a pH of about 6.5 to 8. 
     
     
         10 . The aqueous fluorine-free, fire-fighting foam composition of  claim 1  having a total of no more than about 0.01 wt. % fluorinated additives. 
     
     
         11 . The aqueous fluorine-free, fire-fighting foam composition of  claim 1  comprising a total of no more than about 0.01 wt. % of a polysaccharide thickener. 
     
     
         12 . An aqueous fluorine-free, fire-fighting foam composition comprising:
 about 5 to 25 wt. % of a sugar component comprising a monosaccharide sugar, a disaccharide sugar, a sugar alcohol, or a mixture of two or more thereof;   about 5 to 25 wt. % of an anionic surfactant;   about 2 to 15 wt. % of the zwitterionic surfactant;   about 1 to 30 wt. % of a water-miscible organic solvent; and   about 2 to 15 wt. % of a nonionic surfactant comprising an alkyl polyglycoside, an aliphatic alcohol, or a mixture of any two or more thereof;   wherein the composition is substantially free of a polysaccharide thickener.   
     
     
         13 . The aqueous fluorine-free, fire-fighting foam composition of  claim 12  comprising at least about 30 wt. % water. 
     
     
         14 . A method of forming a firefighting foam, the method comprising aerating a foam precursor composition comprising the aqueous fluorine-free, fire-fighting foam composition of  claim 1  to form the firefighting foam. 
     
     
         15 . A method of forming a firefighting foam, the method comprising:
 mixing the firefighting foam composition of  claim 1  with an aqueous diluent to form a foam precursor solution; and   aerating the foam precursor solution to form the firefighting foam.   
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the aqueous diluent is selected from the group consisting of fresh water, brackish water, sea water, and a combination of any two or more thereof. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the aqueous diluent comprises water from a municipal water source. 
     
     
         18 . A firefighting foam comprising
 an aqueous diluent; and   an aqueous fluorine-free, fire-fighting foam composition comprising:
 a sugar component comprising a monosaccharide sugar, a disaccharide sugar, a sugar alcohol, or a mixture of any two or more thereof; 
 a nonionic surfactant comprises an alkyl polyglycoside, an aliphatic alcohol, or a mixture of any two or more thereof; 
 optionally, a second surfactant component comprising an anionic surfactant, a zwitterionic surfactant, a nonionic surfactant, or a mixture of any two or more thereof; and 
 a water-miscible organic solvent; and 
 wherein the composition is substantially free of a polysaccharide thickener. 
   
     
     
         19 . A method of fighting a fire comprising applying the firefighting foam of  claim 18  to the fire.